Liquid material in bulk form is commonly stored and transported in a variety of large containers. The most common being the conventional 55 gallon drum. The disadvantages of the drum involve the cylindrical container's inefficient use of storage space, the necessity of inverting the drum for discharge purposes and the necessity of returning the drum empty.
In recent years, cubic metal containers having removable inner polyethylene tanks have provided an advantageous alternative to the 55 gallon drum. Specifically, the containers could be used for one way shipping However, the earlier of these cubic containers displayed disadvantages in that the polyethylene tank was often difficult to separate from the outer metal container. Separation is required when it is desirable to recycle the container materials for subsequent use.
A problem not addressed by either the 55 gallon drum or the cubic containers mentioned above involves the storage of flammable or combustible liquids in public facilities. From a safety standpoint, such public storage is only feasible if all potential points of leakage are eliminated or blocked so that the liquid cannot escape from the container.
It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a composite shipping container which has the ability to permit combustible liquid storage in public facilities.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide a cover positioned over an access opening for the discharge fitting of the container.
The present invention is advantageous in that the discharge fitting is protected from inadvertent contact which might result in damage being incurred thereto. The present invention is further advantageous in that it provides a secondary seal for retaining any liquid inadvertently leaking or escaping from the inner tank or the discharge fitting.
The composite shipping container of this invention includes a rigid outer container of rectangular shape. The outer container has continuous upright side walls and a substantially flat top wall.
A unitary blow molded plastic inner tank is positioned upright inside of the outer container The side walls of the inner tank are sufficiently thin to prevent the tank from being self supporting. For this reason, the walls of the outer container are formed of a rigid material that is sufficiently strong to support the inner tank when filled with liquid. The tank also includes an inlet fitting, which is accessible through a fill opening of the outer container, and a discharge fitting, which is accessible through an access opening of the outer container.
The outer container is mounted on a pallet member having a top surface and depending legs. The spacing of the pallet member legs permits the extension of fork lift tines therebetween to facilitate handling and manipulation of the container during both transport and storage.
A removable cover is provided to close and seal the access opening. The cover protects the inlet fitting and prevents any inadvertent leakage of liquid from the tank.
As disclosed, the composite shipping container of this invention can be employed to store flammable or combustible liquids in public warehouses. The cover provides for a liquid tight seal over the access opening and thereby prevents any liquid inadvertently leaking from the tank from escaping the container 10 and creating a safety hazard. The present invention also has the advantage of being a non-reusable, one way shipping container. After the container has been emptied, the container may be wholly disposed of or the polyethylene inner tank may be removed from the rigid outer container and the materials recycled In that the composite container is non-reusable one-way shipper, from a cost standpoint the invention has obvious advantages, but, the container also ensures that contaminants are not introduced to the liquid as a result of previous use.
Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiments and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.